ARENA announces new clean energy startup funding

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has announced Launchpad, a new $30 million funding program designed to help promising early-stage startups aligned to ARENA’s mandate turn innovative ideas into commercial solutions.

Launchpad will provide targeted grants with a streamlined application process for local early-stage companies developing technologies that can help lower emissions and accelerate Australia’s clean energy transition.

It will also provide funding to Australian ecosystem partners that specialise in providing support for typically early-stage renewable energy and climate businesses.

ARENA CEO Darren Miller said Launchpad would help the next generation of Australian renewable energy innovators take an important step towards commercialisation and address the funding gap that can prevent promising innovations from progressing beyond the early stages of development.

“Australia has no shortage of talented founders and ambitious ideas, but early-stage funding can be difficult to secure for technologies that take time and capital to develop, particularly for energy and climate startups,” he said. “Launchpad is an ARENA program designed primarily for early-stage startups. We have heard from startups that they need a simpler and faster pathway to smaller amounts of funding that will help them reach their next technical or commercial milestone.”

Launchpad will include two funding streams:

• Startup funding: a $15 million competitive funding round primarily targeting innovative pre-seed to seed-stage startups aligned to ARENA’s mandate. Successful applicants will receive $500,000, with up to a further $500,000 available for projects with high capital expenditure requirements.
• Ecosystem funding: a $15 million funding round for Australian ecosystem partners, such as accelerators and other organisations, delivering multi-year programs that help businesses aligned to ARENA’s mandate develop and grow. Grants of up to $5 million will be available through an open, non-competitive round.
   

The Startup funding round is expected to support between 15 and 30 companies. Applicants must demonstrate that their innovation aligns with ARENA’s strategic priorities of:

• Ultra-low-cost solar
• Optimising the transition to renewable energy
• Commercialising renewable hydrogen
• Supporting the transition to low-emissions metals
• Decarbonising transport
   

Applications for the Startup funding round close in late October 2026. The Ecosystem funding stream will remain open until the available funding allocation is exhausted.

For more information, go to ARENA’s website.

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